


All the Things Red

by prophecy0Fnora



Category: ARMS (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Depression, Drama, Fanfiction, M/M, Nintendo Switch game, Romance, Yaoi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-27
Updated: 2019-03-26
Packaged: 2019-05-14 09:49:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,705
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14767278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prophecy0Fnora/pseuds/prophecy0Fnora
Summary: Nothing is simple about life, especially when it comes to falling in love. But love is cliche and life is just time before death, so who said the chase was worth it? Spring Man has found the other end of his broken red string, bound and determined to mend it together. Though, without a single thread, Springtron decides to make his own and blaze a new path. [referring to the red string of fate]Original Title: Blood in the Rain





	1. Evidence is Key

The wall of tall trees gently sway in the cooling breeze. Their bright, red leaves drift in the wind and slowly pile up along the shadowing stone steps below, as the sun begins to turn a darker hue. The evening is quiet with the only sound coming from the last few birds chirping in the disappearing light.  

Everyone had gone home for the day and no one was around, or so it seemed. A certain green ninja sat undetected high among the trees. He was as still and as quiet as a mouse, his training had taught him well.

Something was off, though, for the student's eyes were blank and clouded as they stared at the setting sun. His thoughts were few and his breath was slow and forced. 

The ninja finally gave a soft sigh, so quiet that it didn't disturb the birds near by. His hands began to itch and he pulled them in front of his face, blocking the sun's light. His usual protective gloves were tucked away neatly, leaving his hands feeling filthy and exposed. Even through the dark shadows, Ninjara could still see the blood heavily stained on his fingers and palms. He glanced over at his kunai planted in the tree limb beside him; it was dirty as well, blotched with crimson stains.

The young student felt no guilt, he actually felt nothing at all for what he had done. It was all over for now and all he had to do was clean up the mess he had made. No one would find out what he had done.

~~~ the next day ~~~

"Hey, Min Min," a deep voiced called out.

The blonde fighter turned toward the sound of shuffling feet and tried not to laugh as she watched the speed demon approach her. She could never get over how short his legs were and how he found it difficult to run.

"What's up?"

She smirked as he held up a hand, trying to catch his breath, "don't laugh!"

There was a small snicker and Kid Cobra groaned, "come on, it's not funny."

She hummed, "maybe a little."

The snakeboarder finally stood up straight, "we'll see how funny it is next time we're in the ring."

"Aww come on Cobra, you're not embarrassed are you," the younger teased, "I think it's kind of cute when you try to run." 

Min Min covered her mouth, hiding her giggle as she watched the other blush, "come on, I'm going to forget what I needed to ask you." 

"Alright, alright, what is it?"

"Have you seen Spring Man recently?" 

"I haven't seen him since yesterday actually," the ramen bomber crossed her ARMS in thought, "weren't you suppose to have a sparing match with him today." 

"Yes, an hour ago."

"Oh" Min Min mused, "and he's always on time for his matches."

"I know, it's really weird. I've been looking all over for him."

"Ninjara is missing as well," another deep voice joined the conversation.

"You had a match with him today, Misango," Kid Cobra questioned the taller man, who in turn gave a nod.

"Something isn't right," Min Min looked at the two with concern, "technically, the last time we all saw either of them, was when they had that big fight."

The room grew quiet as the three fighters remembered the fight from a couple days ago. None of them knew what had started it. They had heard loud ruckus coming from the locker room and when they walked in, they had to separate the two before things got physical. Ninjara was strangely uncomposed and very angry, while Spring Man's usual happy aroma was shattered with agony. Misango hadn't gotten a good grip on the ninja and before anything else could happen, he was gone. They had tried to find out what had happened from the rookie, but he had pushed them away and headed home. 

"I haven't checked the locker room yet," the speed demon broke the silence.

"I'll call Max Brass when I get home and see if he knows anything," Min Min offered, "I have to get back to the restaurant."

Kid Cobra apologized for holding her up, but she cut him off, knowing this was more important. They waved her off and Misango decided to look for Dr. Coyle, she always seemed to have tabs on everyone. 

The snakeboarder headed toward the locker room, hoping he would find one of them there. He searched through all the rooms and decided to check their lockers. Spring Man's locker seemed untouched, so he knew that the rookie hadn't even made it in today. With growing worry, he turned and headed towards Ninjara's, which he also found to be undisturbed. 

Kid Cobra was about to give up, but something poking out from underneath Ninjara's locker caught his eye. He bent down and pulled out a dirty towel. There was a gasp and he quickly dropped it when he noticed streaks of blood covering most of the cloth. His heart began to pound and he backed up and stumbled over the bench. 

The speed demon cried out as he fell with a hard thump. He groaned and looked back at the towel and then at the locker. He pulled himself up on his knees and reached out a shaky hand. Ninjara's locker creaked open and Kid Cobra peaked in.

"What are you doing?"

Kid Cobra yelped in surprise at the inhuman voice that was suddenly behind him, causing him to bump his head against the door. He froze when he heard something metallic fall out the locker and hit the floor underneath him. Mismatched eyes nervously looked down.

The snakeboarder screamed, but nothing came out as he scrambled onto his feet and quickly backed up into the solid body behind him.

Springtron grabbed the trembling man's ARMS and looked over his shoulder at what had startled the other into such a state. A bloody kunai laid on the floor, along with the red stained towel. 

"Ninjara's?"

"Y-Yes" Kid Cobra tried to calm himself down, but he was panicking.

The metal ton began to analyze what was going on and put the pieces together in his head, "Ninjara kil-"

"Ahhh" the older man turned around swiftly and covered the other's mouth piece, "w-what are you saying! Don't say that!" 

Kid Cobra turned his head back to the the evidence Springtron was claiming, "he wouldn't do something like that... would he?"


	2. One Match, Two Springs

The two fighters stood still in the quiet room, for what felt like eternity, while Kid Cobra tried to process everything. He was lost in thought, denying the other's conclusion while coming up with a dozen himself.

The younger man studied him, his mouth piece still covered by the other's gloved hands. He wondered why Kid Cobra was still pondering on the subject at hand, what could they possibly do? Of course, he didn't know, he was just a fighting machine; fighting was all he knew.

Springtron was pulled from his thoughts as the pressure on his face lifted. The taller man had turned his back to him, as if forgetting he was even there.

There was a startled yelp as Kid Cobra was turned quickly back around. A cool hand had grabbed his wrist when he had unconsciously tried to scratch at the back of his neck.

"Ouch, man" the older fighter tried to pull his hand away from the other, "what was that for?"

"Let's go."

Kid Cobra stared at the mean machine, his eyes crinkling, "go where? I need to figure out what to do about all this?"

"Sparring Ring" his voice was as unemotional as always and he gave another tug at the other's wrist.

"What? You want to spar... now? Are you serious, we need to- ow ow, okay," the speed demon winced and grabbed at the hand tightening around his wrist, "please let go."

Springtron just stared back at him, while he continued to try and remove the hand holding him, "alright, alright! I'll spar with you, but please just let me go!"

The shorter man releases him and watches as the other rubs his wrist. "Sheesh man, you got to remember how much power is behind..." Kid Cobra looks him up and down before motioning to his whole body, "all of this!" The other cocks his head slightly and the snakeboarder lets out a heavy sigh as he turns back to Ninjara's locker.

Kid Cobra notices the heavy step behind him, "ah, I'm coming, give me a minute!" He bends down and picks up the towel and kunai, before turning back and walking around the other.

"Go on ahead, I'll be right behind you once I take care of these." Springtron hesitates but does as he's asked and leaves the locker room.

"Such a hard head," the speed demon mumbles to himself as he places the items in the top of his own locker, then closes it with a click, securing the evidence away from anyone else. He walks back over to Ninjara's, closing his as well while checking for anything he might have missed.

With another heavy sigh, Kid Cobra heads out of the locker room. He'd rather go home and take the day off, but Springtron wanted to spar with him and it won't be very nice to just leave him; not that he would do that to him anyway.

Kid Cobra squints at the bright light as he pushes through the curtain that hides the door to the Sparring Ring. He catches sight of Springtron getting his ARMS ready beside the ring and heads over to him.

"Sorry it took me so long," the fighting machine glances over his shoulder as he pulls one of his Toasters on.

The speed demon drops his bag he had grabbed from his locker onto the bench beside the other. He pulls the zipper on his jacket and lets it roll of his shoulders, before tossing in onto his bag. He feels as if he's being watched as he grabs his Coolerangs and he turns to find the other starring at him. 

"What?" Kid Cobra's free hand settles on his hip as he stares back at the mean machine. 

For a few seconds they just stared at one another, before Springtron turns and climbs into the ring without another word.   

The older man rolls his eyes and follows him. They settle on opposite ends of the ring, swaying and bouncing to their own rhythm of momentum.

"ARMS!"

It starts off fast and Kid Cobra feels pent up energy traveling through his veins. ARMS are flying and each takes several hits and blows, before one goes for a throw. The clock ticks and Kid Cobra knocks the shorter man into the ground with a loud 'KO' ringing out.

"You okay man," Kid Cobra's breath is heavy, "you seem kind of out of it." His only response is a nod and Kid Cobra doesn't say more as he grabs a quick drink.

They're at it again and the speed demon takes more hits this time. It doesn't take long before both of them are almost down.

Springtron finds himself struggling to pay attention. He shakes his head, not understanding what's wrong with him. Suddenly, there's two hands on him and he watches as Kid Cobra comes flying towards him. Something inside him seems to stop and he can't break eye contact with the other. 

Even though he finds himself locking up, the mean machine's instincts break through and he manages to hit Kid Cobra as he's thrown into the air. It doesn't save him, though, and he crashes back onto the ground with the last 'KO'.

"Ahhhh" Springtron looks up and tries to move as Kid Cobra comes crashing down on top of him.

"Double KO!"

There's a groan and the snakeboarder lifts himself up slightly as he looks down at the other, "well that's never happened before." 

Kid Cobra notices the younger man looks a bit dazed and he lets out a laugh, breaking the silence that seemed to have fallen over the arena. The growing laughter stirs the other and Springtron struggles to get up.

"Springtron" he manages through laughs, stopping the other's motions, "you should see your face- wait," he pauses to think, "or your eyes, because, you know, I can't really see your face..." The snakeboarder glances down and Springtron raises an eye brow, which sends the other over in another fit of laughs. 

"Sorry, oh I'm not sure why this is so funny," Kid Cobra manages to calm himself down a bit after a minute or so, "you're just... fascinating, I suppose you could say." He says this as he leans down, resting his elbows on the other's chest, "it's also a bit thrilling to beat the best of the best." 

"That's Spring Man."

"Hmm" Kid Cobra glances off, "yeah, he is, but you were created off- Spring Man!"

"Yes" the shorter man studied the other's face, why had he said the name so sharply? 

"Spring Man!" He's shouting now and scrambling up as he runs for the edge of the ring. Springtron pulls himself up and turns in time to watch the speed demon tackle someone. 

There's a yelp and the curly-haired man barely manages to stay standing as he's tackled by the younger fighter, "Kid Cobra- ah, can't breathe!"

The taller man quickly losses his grip, "sorry." The other laughs and pats him on the back, "it's alright."

Kid Cobra hasn't let him go yet and he's about to ask what's going on, but a deep rumbling noise from the ring distracts him. He glances over and notices the mean machine, his eyes seem darker than usual and... is he growling at him? 

"Hey, someone tell me what's going on," the blue-haired man attempts to push the other away a little.

"We thought you were dead," Kid Cobra finally steps back and the bouncer didn't miss the fact that the growling stopped at the same time. 

"What!? Why?" 

"Ummm..." the snakeboarder scratched at the back of his head.

"Ninjara!" They both jumped at the deep voice as Springtron made his way over.

"What?"

Kid Cobra seemed antsy and he blurted out, "he- we... we thought Ninjara had hurt you."

It doesn't completely register in his head as Springtron walks up beside the other. 

"Spring Man?"

"We just had a fight the other day, not that I knew why he was so mad at me, he always seems a bit up tight, more so recently, but he would never hurt me, would he, Ninjara-" he stops his rambling and stares at the others, "where is he?"

"We don't know, I went looking for you when you were late for our sparring match and then I ran into the others who said they hadn't seen either of you in a while."

It was quiet again, with the only sound being the soft breeze blowing around them. The three just stood there, only more confusion being added to the already growing mystery. Spring Man was no longer missing and not a scratch on him, but then where was Ninjara and whose blood had they found?


	3. The Voice of Remembering

Home... could he really call it that? It was small, but that wasn't bad, kind of made it cozy sometimes. Maybe it was that he lived far from everyone he knew... no, he wasn't that close to any of his classmates. His apartment wasn't empty either, he had a lot of things from home and had nice furniture... what was the reason then, that it didn't feel like a home?

The green ninja gave a defeated sigh as he stared out his living room window. He sat upon the floor, leaning against the wall, watching as the sun set. From here he could see his school and a few of the ARMS rings, it was quiet a view atop the hill his apartment rested upon.

Ninjara's stomach began to ache and he gripped at the carpet, squeezing his eyes shut. Why had he yelled at Spring Man? He hadn't done anything wrong, he shouldn't have taken his anger out on him.

~~~ a few days ago ~~~

"Hey, those were some pretty impressive moves out there today," Spring Man patted Ninjara on the shoulder as the ninja was opening his locker.

There was a growl and Ninjara shrugged the hand off his shoulder, "don't patronize me! I lost."

The rookie held up his hands, "I'm sorry, I just thought you did pretty well," he scratched at the back of his neck sheepishly, "I could tell you were really trying and-"

"I don't need your pity!" Spring Man flinched and the other turned back to hurriedly finish putting away his stuff. 

"I didn't mean to insult you, Ninjara," the bouncer's concern was growing with each snap the usually quiet fighter gave him, "is everything alright?"

He was answered with silence and Spring Man took a step forward and gently took hold of the other's arm, "hey man, if something's wrong and you need to talk, I'm here." He pulled at his arm, trying to turn the other to face him. 

Ninjara turned suddenly and shoved the other back, Spring Man let out a yelp and stumbled backwards trying to keep himself from falling. 

"I don't need anything from you! Just leave me alone! Why can't you understand that?"

The rookie was stunned as the other stood facing him, fists balled up and fuming as he yelled at him.

"But-"

"No! Don't you get it? I can't stand being around you, all you do is get all up in my business!"

"Because we're friends," now he was yelling too, "I'm suppose to care... I want t-"

"We. Are. Not. Friends!" 

Spring Man flinched, there was so much venom in those words and they really cut through him, he thought they were close. 

"You can't say that," his voice was breaking.

"Hey, what's going on in here?"

~~~~~

There was a whimper and the ninja was dragged from his thoughts. He glanced back out the window, his eyes adjusting to the yellow hue now blanketing everything in sight. 

_Look at you, you're pathetic._  

Ninjara's vision focused on the glass, taking in the sight of a young man sitting on the floor, dirty and ragged, his eyes empty and his face blank.

_Worthless!_

The quiet fighter covered his face with his still bloody hands.

_What would they think if they saw you now? What would he think?_  

Another whimper escaped the ninja's lips as a dark laugh echoed in his head.

_Not that Spring Man would give you much thought now, after you pushed him away, literally! The only person who ever tried to get close to you, the only person to break through all your barriers, the only person who tried to be your friend._

Ninjara clawed at his face, smearing dried blood with his tears.

_It was only because he felt bad for you though. He doesn't actually care about you and he definitely doesn't like you! You don't have any friends and you have no family left. You don't mean anything, just a useless soul, a mistake, you don't deserve to be here!_

A sob ripped through the young man's trembling chest and his hands shock.

Suddenly, there was a soft chime and the spell was broken. Ninjara coughed and attempted to wipe his face dry with his sleeve. He reached for the light blue, glowing light a little ways from him. 

He unlocked his phone, hoping it was a text from Spring Man wondering about him.

To his dismay, it was only an email about an assignment for one of his classes. 

_And you thought it was Springy. What a joke!_  

Ninjara shock his head.

_Spring Man doesn't care about you! No one does, you shit!_

"Arg!" The ninja jumped to his feet and threw his phone across the room in anger. It landed with a soft bounce on the couch, which only caused another deep growl from its owner.

He stood there, a blank stare at the wall, exhaustion slowly seeping up his body. 

Lights flickered on outside as the sky began to grow darker and Ninjara finally gave a sigh before turning to walk down the hallway. He entered the bathroom, trying not to look at himself in the mirror and grabbed the browning washcloth draped across his sink. Steam rose from the sink as the tired ninja waited for the water to heat up. 

After washing his face and hands, the young fighter dragged himself towards his bedroom, before flopping onto his bed. He should stay up later and study, but his mind was blank and everything hurt, especially his stomach. With clothes still on, Ninjara's eyes slipped closed, unaware of his phone buzzing in the other room.


	4. More to Life then Fighting

The heavy burden of guilt began to stain the usually cheerful fighter's face.

"Spring Man" Kid Cobra placed a hand on the other's shoulder, "look at me."

When the rookie finally raised his head, the younger man continued, "this isn't your fault..."

"But-"

"No" his voice was stern, but he gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze, "none of us know what's going on and not only that, most of us barely know Ninjara. You know him the best and right now he needs you, so you can't beat yourself up. Whatever is going on is probably happening outside the ring. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

The bouncer nodded, pain and determination mixed in his expression, "yes."

He took a step back, thanking Kid Cobra for leveling his head, before turning and dashing off. 

Sweat rolled down the snakeboarder's back, his tight clothes becoming an issue now from the heat of the spar moments ago. He gave a sigh as he watched Spring Man disappear through one of the hidden doors of the Sparring Ring; he was glad that he was okay, but his worry was growing for the missing ninja. If there was anyone who would be able to find the silent fighter, it would be the rising rookie, so maybe he shouldn't worry too much for the moment until they found out more. 

"Well" the speed demon leaned back, cracking his back and shoulders, "I guess all we can do now is wait." He sounded more reassuring than how he really felt.

Kid Cobra turned to go gather his things before heading home. However, he was stopped short when a hand grabbed his wrist once again and the older man gave a defeated sigh.

"What is it now, Springtron," he turned towards the other who had been quiet this whole time, "I already sparred with you, I'm ready to go."

"Stay." That was it, that's all he said and the snakeboarder just stared at him.

"What?" He didn't say anymore though and Kid Cobra was beginning to get a bit irritated from everything that had happened that day, he couldn't take much more. 

He pulled his arm back and was surprised when he wasn't held back, but instead the mean machine moved forward. 

"Stay."

The taller man racked his brain, trying to figure out what the other wanted. He pulled his arm again and the mean machine followed.

"Springtron" Kid Cobra wondered, "do you want to 'stay' with me?"

He received a nod, which was strange in itself since the other wasn't big on giving physical responses. 

The speed demon gave a chuckle as he pulled the hand from his wrist, "well that's one way to ask someone to hang out." Kid Cobra knew the other had allowed him to remove his hand, so he returned the favor and held onto the other's wrist, pulling him after him. He quickly gathered their things and headed out, the stress on his shoulders lifting as he suddenly became excited. 

"I've never hung out with any of the other fighters before, you know everyone is so busy with their own lives," renewed energy filled the older fighter's voice, "you can come back to my place, we can watch a movie or something."

"Movie?"

Kid Cobra stopped in his tracks outside the locker room and turned to the other, "you don't know..."  _you fool, of course he doesn't know what a movie is, he probably doesn't even know what a book or video game is- oh..._ mismatched eyes brightened with joy, "this opens up so many doors!" 

He only received a confused look and the snakeboarder just laughed and dragged the other on.

Soon they came upon an apartment complex tucked away in the side of a hill and surround by tall, thick trees. Springtron followed the older fighter up the wooden steps, decorated with potted plants, that lead up to his apartment. He watched as Kid Cobra fished for his keys from his baggy pants and unlocked the door.

"Come on in," there was probably a toothy grin underneath the speed demon's mask as he stood proudly holding his door open wide in invitation to the other.

The younger man walked in the small apartment and glanced around, taking in his surroundings. It had a small kitchen with a bar to his right, a leather couch and flat screen TV separated by a wooden coffee table on his left, and a hallway leading supposedly to the bedroom and bathroom behind the kitchen. 

"Do you have to analyze everything?"

Springtron glanced towards the other who had taken a seat at the bar and was studying him.

He gave a light shrug of his shoulders, something he had learned from watching Spring Man. He presumed it was the right context to be used when Kid Cobra gave a chuckle.

"I don't mind, look at anything you'd like, peak your curiosity," he stood up and turned to the hallway, "unlike you, I need a shower."

The speed demon waved his hand over his head, "entertain yourself with whatever, I'll just be a few minutes."

It was suddenly quiet besides the muffled sounds of movement in the bathroom and now Springtron had no idea what to do. His main source of entertainment was watching others, so now what was he supposed to do?

For a few minutes he walked around and looked at everything Kid Cobra had decorating his apartment. Then he opted to sitting on the couch, gazing out the window at the setting sun.

"Well you're quieter than I thought." The younger fighter snapped his head towards the voice that broke the silence and wasn't ready for the sight before him. 

The taller man stood leaning against the wall, his eyes locked with the one on the couch, or for a moment at least, for Springtron didn't understand how shamelessly he looked as he took the other in fully, from head to toe. He had never seen any of the other fighters out of 'uniform' before. Kid Cobra's bulky helmet was replaced with a black mask that rested over his nose and covered every inch of his skin leading down to his neck, where a sleeveless turtle neck took over. His arms were the only part of his body exposed; for a simple black mask, similar to the other fighters' masks, covered the rest of his face. Though, as bright blue eyes found their way back up to the other's, he noticed black locks flowing over his shoulders. His hair looked as soft as silk and shiner than the metal of his skin. 

"If you weren't the ARMS Labs' statistics reporter, I'd think you were checking me out!"

The deep voice broke Springtron from his trance and he gave the other a confused look. 

"It was a joke," he chuckled, "I suppose you don't know what that means, along with anything else outside of fighting."

He walked over and plopped down on the other end of his couch after picking up the remote on the coffee table.

"So, what you wanna watch?"

Kid Cobra was met with silence as the other just stared at him. 

"I know you were built for fighting, but you're here," he waved his hand around the room, "there's more to life than just the ring. Clearly Dr. Coyle thinks more of you than just an invention..." He trailed off watching the other.

"I know" the snakeboarder wasn't expecting an answer, especially not one so causal.

"I am technically an android, but some other scientists insist that I am actually a cyborg."

Were they really having this conversation, a conversation in general was unbelievable, "you mean you were once human?"

"No" Springtron leaned back into the couch, staring at nothing in particular. Something about him was different, it was like a wall and fallen. "It is quite complicated to explain, but like Helix, we are both more than just human resemblances."

It was quiet for a few minutes before the younger fighter turned to the other to find mismatched eyes on him.

"What" he finally gave a huff.

"Sorry, it's just..." he shifted to move a leg underneath him, "I wasn't expecting to have you or anyone else over, then you- you're different, it's like you opened up, I never thought I would know anything else about you besides being one of the best fighters."

There was a hum and Springtron turned away, "well I was taught to do on to others... and you know the rest. You've always been kind to me and put up with my requests, you even invited me into your home and you seem comfortable with me to the point you removed your uniform... so I tried to do the same." 

A soft laugh followed, a sign there was a smile underneath the black mask. "It's nothing really, I like you kid, that's all."

Light steam rose from the mean machines shoulders.

"That's what friends are for."

The younger man sighed, "yeah," why did his chest feel heavy all of a sudden. 

"Anyways, I bet I can find something you'd like to watch, we both need to relax after this long day."

Kid Cobra flipped through the list of online movies as the street lights outside flickered on. He finally settled on one of his favorite action movies, Rush Hour. He then explained to the other how movies worked and the plot of the one they were gonna watch. When Springtron seemed to grasp onto the concept of what all this meant, he started the movie. 

Even though Kid Cobra really wanted to pay attention to the film, his mind was distracted by what the other had said and everything else he had learned about him. He wanted to know more and he didn't know why, he just felt this pull towards him that he couldn't explain. Deep in his own thoughts, the speed demon didn't even notice his guest wasn't watching the movie either, but instead his eyes were locked on him.


	5. The Eyes that Wander

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just a short filler taking place before the story begins.

The sun was bright and even though it was fall, sweat glistened off the fighters' bare shoulders. It was a peaceful Sunday afternoon, even for the usual bustling Buster Beach. A few of the fighters were practicing at the beach side ring, a wonderful change of scenery compared to the black walls of the Sparring Ring. 

The speed demon and rising rookie were in the middle of a match, while the others watched and waited their turns. 

Ninjara sat off to the side, on the front row of the bleachers that surround the ring. His ARMS and legs were crossed in his usual serious manner with an impassive expression on his face. He wasn't alone though, behind him were more than a few bystanders.

'They're so cool!'

'I wish I could fight like them!'

'What if one of us ends up with the ARMS ability?!'

'I like Spring Man!' 'Yeah, he's super attractive!'

'We should go to the next Grand Prix event!'

The youngest fighter glanced over at the ninja beside her when she heard a noise under his breath, "did you say something?"

She blinked as he flinched at her words as if she had startled him, "uh, no, sorry, I didn't say anything." She nodded and turned back toward the ring, shrugging off the other's odd behavior. 

The ninja gritted his teeth, his eyes once again following the movement of one of the fighters.  _Spring Man deserves way more respect than to just be ogled by fans! He always has a smile on his face, he's friendly to everyone he meets, and he's one of the strongest and most dedicated fighters out of all of us. How could they just look at his body, wearing nothing but his shorts and shoes, every inch of his skin covered in sweat, with his muscles flexing with every movement he makes..._  Ninjara gulped, his face turning red at his own thoughts.

The quiet fighter wasn't the only one lost in his thoughts. Not too far away, the mean machine leaned against one of the palm trees. His eyes followed one of the fighters in the ring as well. His body was tense and it only increased more with his thoughts. He didn't know why, but every time Spring Man landed a blow, he wanted to throw him off and protect the younger fighter. He wanted to shield him from the world, from those people in the crowd that whispered about him not being completely human, who judged him and said such horrible things. He wanted to hold him tight, he wanted to tell him how amazing he was, he wanted to tell him how much he admired him, how much he... he lo- cared about him! Springtron blinked, what was he thinking?

The two fighters in the ring had no idea of the confusion and frustration they had put some of the onlookers in. But maybe their thoughts weren't completely on the fight either.


	6. In the Dim Light

The quiet fighter suddenly woke in fright, he quickly sat up and looked around. His eyes landed on the nightstand that held his alarm clock, brightly reading 8:20 PM. He snapped his head toward the noise again, realizing now that it was someone knocking at his door.

The door knob rattled and the ninja gulped, he couldn't remember if he had locked it behind himself.

A soft creak informed him that he hadn't and the boxer lost his breath.

"Ninjara?" A nervous voice called out, "it's me, Springman."

A loud bang rang out from the ninja's bedroom and the rookie rushed in, desperately searching for a light switch, "Ninjara?"

He was met with a cool breeze across his face from the recently shoved open window, giving away the escape route of the green-haired man.

"Shit" Springman turned on his heel and dashed back out the door, swinging it closed, still managing to take care to lock it behind him. 

~~~ elsewhere ~~~

They were probably half way through the movie, Kid Cobra couldn't tell, he wasn't paying attention. He spared a glance at the other and found bright, blue eyes locked on him. 

"Is something the matter," for some reason he found himself nervous under the other's gaze.

The mean machine blinked, "no... why?"

The older man sighed, rolling his eyes as he reached for the remote to pause the movie.

"Maybe we should watch this later," darkness covered the room as the light from the TV flickered off. "Oops, I should have turned something on earlier," Kid Cobra scrambled up in the faint light that the street lamp provided. 

He knew his apartment well, so he didn't need to see anyway, the lamp was just behind Springtron. The taller man shuffled across the couch and came face to face with the other. "Sorry about this," the snakeboarder apologized sheepishly as he leaned closer, a puff of steam rose from the other's shoulders, but went unnoticed by the other who was trying his best to reach the lamp switch above their heads.

"Almost... got i- whoa," Kid Cobra lost his balance and in attempt to catch himself, he ended up in the other's lap.

"I'm so sorry, Springtron, I-" he lost his words as he stared at the other, who had caught him by the waist. The younger man had suddenly began to give off a dim red glow and it had the speed demon memorized. 

"Ar- Are you blushing?"

He watched the stunning sky blue of his eyes flicker in embarrassment, "no" but as he spoke, the hands on the other's waist tightened.

"It's okay" Kid Cobra's words were gentle as his hand pulled the other's chin up so their eyes met, "I... I think it makes you look beautiful."

The glow brightened, followed by a deep chuckle from the older man. The moment was innocent and neither questioned anything, for not to break the spell.

There was a soft hum and the speed demon rose, taking the other's hand in his, "I have a better idea of something we can do."

The shorter man was pulled to his feet as the other reach for a different remote. The TV flickered back on and he watched as Kid Cobra flipped through the lists of titles. 

"Ah" he pressed 'play' and music began to flow out of the speakers around the room. He set the remote back down and pulled the other into the center of the room.

"What are we doing?"

"I'm going to show you how to dance," the snakeboarder turned the other to face him and placed his hands on his waist, "place your hands on my shoulders for a moment."

Springtron did as he was told and after a moment, the taller man fell into the beat of the music. He applied light pressure to the other's waist, encouraging him to sway his hips. His shoulders moved side to side, pulling the other in movement with him. 

"Hey, you got it," Kid Cobra laughed, noticing the other's intense gaze on every move he made, trying to copy him. 

"This is dancing?"

"Mmm" the dark-haired man sighed in content, his eyes closed, "yes, though it's pretty basic, we're kind of just swaying to the music."

"I-" the other paused, "I like it."

"You do" Kid Cobra asked cheerfully and he received a nod in response, "well, you could try leading now if you'd like." 

"Yes!"

The older man laughed, "alright, someone's eager."

The red glow returned, which made the other smile through his mask, "alright, we just have to switch where our hands are."

Springtron dropped his arms and took a hold of the other's waist as Kid Cobra placed his hands on his shoulders.

Once again they began to sway to the beat, with the taller fighter adding a bit more, by starting to move his feet so they wouldn't be standing in one place. The other caught on easily, "you're a natural."

"Far from it."

"No, seriously, you're really good at this."

The younger man hummed in response, enjoying the moment as much as the other.

Even when the song changed, they kept going, only changing the pace as the beat did.

With each moment that passed, they seemed to grow closer and closer, till no space was left between them.

"This is nice."

"You're nice."

Kid Cobra sputtered, "that was super cheesy, you've been around Spring Man too much."

The younger man gave an experimental squeeze around the other's waist, "you liked it."

There was a laugh in response, "I guess" he lowered his head and their eyes met, "or maybe it's because I like you."

The room stilled and the two blushed uncontrollably.

"Oh God-" the older man ripped himself from the other's grip, "I- I said that out loud," he backed away in panic, "what am I even saying!"

"Kid Cobra?" The name felt funny running off his tongue, he had never called his name before.

He snapped around, startled even more and stared at the other, "... I'm sorry, I don't know what's happening."

Springtron could tell the other was conflicted and confused, "maybe I should go."

The speed demon covered his face with one of his hands and turned away. He heard steps behind him and the soft click of the door closing behind his guest. The spell was broken. 


	7. Not Much for Talking

The pounding of footsteps rang loudly in the stairway, quick yet with careful footing. The door swung open and slammed shut as the curly-haired man rushed out. He paused, panting, he didn't know which direction he should head in. Where would he go if he was Ninjara? He thought for a moment, before dashing off, hoping his intuition was correct.

There always seemed to be a gentle breeze high up on the hill, causing the leaves to dance around the foot of the trees and the chimes to ring softly. Springman glanced around, it was difficult to see with only a few lanterns strung here and there. Thankfully, the moon was high and bright, illuminating his path up the winding stairs. He turned and jumped over to one of the stands that the ARMS fans watched the matches in. The rookie walked to the edge and looked beyond, he never saw this part of the area before. A beautiful river sparkled in the moonlight, flowing down the hill beside the college. He took a deep breath, breathing in the crisp, clean air.

Springman sighed, "it's quite beautiful here, isn't it?"

There was no response.

"Though there's something that's not quite right."

The bouncer crinkled up his nose, "it doesn't take a skilled ninja to smell the stale blood in this particular area," he turned and look up into the tree beside him, "I could also smell it in your apartment."

There was a rustle above him, "why are you here?"

"Oh, I don't know," Springman's voice was bitter as he glanced back at the river, "I don't have anything better to do than to look for your sorry ass!"

"What!?"

"You heard me!"

"Fuck you" the tree branches shock as the ninja leapt away.

"Oh no you don't," ARMS shot out and the quiet fighter yelped in surprise as ARMS wrapped around his waist in midair.

Okay, maybe that wasn't the best plan of action Springman had, but it was too late. He lost his footing, pulling him over the railing and went tumbling down the hill. The rookie lost his grip on the other, but it didn't matter, they both landed in the river.

The rookie groaned, surprised to find how shallow the said river was. The water had offered no cushion to their fall, only soaking every inch of their clothes. He turned and found the ninja laying on his side, "Ninjara?!" The younger man scrambled up and rushed over, turning the other on his back, his body was limp and still.

~ ~ ~

There was a groan as the tall fighter threw himself on his now empty couch. What just happened, what was all this, what had they done, what had he done? He felt a headache coming on. The speed demon buried his face deeper into the cushions, he had ruined the moment with his friend. They were friends, right?

After what felt like hours, the boxer finally rolled over, pulling his phone out. The screen lit up and he opened up his messages; luckily on their walk to his apartment, they had exchanged contacts. 

Mismatched eyes stared at the screen, what could he say?

[Did you get back alright?] 

Kid Cobra sighed, letting his phone fall out of his hands; he should probably forget it, the other might have been weirded out by his odd behavior. 

[I did.]

The soft ding from his phone startled him and it dropped to the floor, another ding had him scrambling for it like a fool. 

[I thank you for asking.]

There was a chuckle and the snakeboarder wondered how long the other had been texting, he was pretty good at it... well actually he was good at everything he did. 

[Sorry you left so late and kind of suddenly.]

[It was fine. Dr. Coyle needed me back at the lab anyway. I enjoyed our hangout.]

He was so proper on the phone.

[I did as well, we'll have to do it again.]

Kid Cobra found himself lost in the text messages back and forth, soon drifting off, clutching his phone with a smile on his face.

~ ~ ~

There was a gasp and bright, red eyes frantically took in their surroundings. He tired to sit up and found that his ARMS were bound over his head. He glanced around, strong athletic bandages were wrapped around his wrists and to the head board of the bed he laid upon. The ninja began to panic, not quite remembering what had happened before he woke to this situation.

He flinched at the sound of footsteps, instinctively pulling his legs inwards, to only gasp, realizing that not only was his gear gone, but also all his clothes!

A tall man walked through the door, a towel hiding his face as he dried his hair.

"Who are you and what do you want with me?!"

The man flinched and turned towards the voice.

"Springman?!"

Said man pulled the towel down, letting it rest on his shoulders, "you're awake?"

"No shit" the ninja spat, "I demand to know what's going on!"

The other's face hardened as he walked over, Ninjara gulped, now noticing the man was only in a pair of shorts, hanging loosely on his hips.

"I don't think you get to ask the questions right now," he leaned over and yanked back the blanket covering the ninja. There was a yelp and the older man glanced down, thankfully noting he wasn't completely naked, but confused at all the bandages wrapped around his waist and a few on his legs.

As if knowing what was going through his head, Springman flicked his forehead, "there's one here too." The other winced and could only stare up at the other confused.

"You hit your head pretty hard on some rocks in the river," Ninjara's eyes widened as he remembered what had happened now.

"Why am I tied up though?"

"Let me put it this way," Springman crawled over the other, towering above him, "you wanna get out of here, you better start talking about all this," he said this as he pressed his fingers on the bandages on the other's stomach.


End file.
